


So Baby Whenever You're Ready

by LoadedGunn



Series: driving instructor fic [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 18/26, Anal Plug, Bit of bondage, Comeplay, Exhibitionism, Facial, M/M, Subspace, Voyeurism, Wax Play, Zayn POV!, nearly forgotten, oh and daddy kink, zayn can look but he can't touch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-17 10:46:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1384735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoadedGunn/pseuds/LoadedGunn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"We were wondering if you could give us a hand. Or a brush." Louis gestures to the wax warmer, but there's no way Zayn's taking his eyes off him right now. It... doesn't look like he's joking.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>"We."</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Louis smirks at him, and starts scraping the wax off Harry's back with a blunt fingernail. Harry makes this high noise, and Zayn wonders if he's been holding his breath during Louis' exchange with Zayn, but now that he's got his attention back he can't help himself. "Of course. He's the one that got you standing here, isn't he? Wanted to be extra loud and pretty so you'll see what a good boy he is for his daddy."</i>
</p>
<p>Or, the daddyfic sequel where Harry has a birthday, Louis is a good boyfriend, and Zayn's the most helpful best mate ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Baby Whenever You're Ready

**Author's Note:**

> HE DOESN'T CHEAT OKAY LISTEN TO ME FOR A SEC. the whole point of this was to write a third person pov so i can describe the madness that is 17/25 and also write wax play without actually writing wax play. this is very much an h/l fic with zayn as a helpful robot alien bystander, and perrie is mentioned throughout it. he doesn't actually touch harry or louis, seeing as he doesn't want to get shot. he does... other things. they're just bros helping bros out okay.
> 
> now that that's out of the way, hi peeps!!!  
> [this](http://www.yankeecandle.com/detail/everyday-ceramic-green-box-turtle-wled/1310913) is a wax melter:  
>   
> basically a crockpot for [little wax chips](http://www.yankeecandle.com/detail/bahama-breeze/1205309) that melt and smell fantastic.  
> [these](http://sm-bondage-play.blogspot.co.il/2006/04/wax-play.html) [are](http://voices.yahoo.com/bdsm-techniques-hot-wax-play-72207.html?cat=41) pages about wax play.  
> this is an obligatory warning: WAX PLAY IS DANGEROUS. DON'T BURN YOUR PARTNER OR YOURSELF OR YOUR HOUSE PLEASE.

"I _said_ , don't move."

Zayn turns up the volume. The telly still doesn't block the smacking sound he hears from Louis and Harry's bedroom, and definitely not the pained moan that follows. He switches to MTV Music so at least there's something to focus on, but of course it's adverts, and of course Harry only waits a moment to shout _oh fuck Daddy._ It's been half an hour now. Zayn is about to lose his _shit_.

He's always been a pretty agreeable guy. Affable, if you will. He accepted it when Perrie wanted to postpone the wedding to go on tour, he accepted Louis fucking a barely-legal schoolboy, and he accepted Ralph Lauren icing him out when he decided to focus on his art more than the modelling. It goes all the way back to the fateful day he accepted Louis' offer to share a flat off-campus, just because, "Zayner, we'll _always_ be best mates, what could go wrong?"

_This_. This is wrong. Not the shit Louis and Harry get up to, he's learnt how to deal with _that_ after the time he burst into their room at the sound of slapping and saw things he probably shouldn't have. (He refused to leave the room until Louis sat him down for a long talk about BDSM as opposed to spousal abuse, while Harry watched them, vaguely amused and tied up by the wrists and ankles.)

What's wrong is that _they keep leaving the door wide open_. Zayn would get it, _accept_ it, if they didn't know he was home or if he interrupted them, but Perrie's been in the States for two weeks now and Zayn hasn't left the flat in almost as long. They're being inconsiderate, loud little shits, is what they are.

Louis' always been a screamer. When he was in the closet, Zayn figured it was more of a defiant thing, bringing to the bedroom everything he couldn't say outside of it. After, Zayn had a few blissfully quiet years where Louis settled for quick flings that usually didn't make it back to the flat. And then he found Harry Styles and shit hit the fan.

They just have really good, loud, pornographic sex. In the beginning, Zayn was curious about the kink. What he didn't learn on his own from the noises, he learnt from Harry, who couldn't be happier to wear bruises and answer questions. Louis' more vague about it. More protective, maybe.

Anyway, he's not curious anymore. He's annoyed as fuck. Every night, he has to walk around his own flat with his hands covering his ears and, lately, his eyes too. The daddy thing is ignorable by now, and he's come to accept the spanking, but the exhibitionism is _insufferable_. He should've just gone to Perrie's as soon as he realised it was Harry's birthday, but Louis swore they wouldn't do anything big. Of course he was full of shit.

Well, there's only so much Zayn can internalise. He wants to go to sleep, and he can't very well do that with Harry moaning this exaggeratedly. So he turns the TV off and climbs to his feet. And waits.

Even this determined, he still hesitates when he steps up to Louis' room. The door is wide open, and Zayn isn't that sure he wants to see what's going on inside. The closer he comes, the more he can hear, too, and that's not exactly welcoming. "Fucking hell, baby, _look_ at that. Even with the oil it – bet it hurts so much, doesn't it?"

Zayn winces in advance. He still doesn't know much about BDSM, but he knows that Louis' like, the dominatrix, and that when _he_ sounds overwhelmed it must be something extreme. He's constantly amazed by Harry, whether it's his cooking skills or the supernatural ability to have dimples, but when they fuck, he's pretty monotonous.

(So Zayn might have done his fair share of listening in. But only because they're practically begging him to, with the door situation. And because with Perrie gone, he'd be watching porn anyway, so he might as well spare the awkward Google search.)

He's at the door now. Deep breath. Might as well.

Like almost all the time, Zayn was right. Louis _was_ full of shit, and they _are_ doing something big, and. He's completely frozen. He must have stepped into an alternative universe, where porn is being filmed at his flat.

Louis is dripping candle wax on Harry's back.

Zayn knew something suspicious was going to happen with these motherfucking candles. It started with Louis and Harry voluntarily offering to join Perrie for a trip to Hobbycraft and coming back with three cheap candles, a bag of wax melts and an electric wax warmer shaped like a turtle. Zayn wasn't suspicious then, thought they were just taking proactive action against the overwhelming smell of bumfuckery. But then Louis asked him if he knew how to disable the smoke alarm (which led to Louis being banned from the electrical box), and then, just a few days ago, Zayn came home to find the wax warmer on and all the candles lit at the same time. The air was so stuffy with sickly sweet smell that he didn't even ask what the fuck they were doing. He just put it down as a weird Harry-and-Louis thing.

Now he knows.

He looks away as soon as he's physically able to, stares at the rest of the room. They set up a small kink lab with towels and jugs of water and even a little fire extinguisher. It's fascinating, really, much more than Harry spread out naked on an old sheet with Louis crouching over him. Zayn's attention isn't even drawn to that part of the floor. He can completely block it out.

If only Louis would stop _talking_.

"Wanna try your thighs now, baby. Remember when I fucked them? How sore you got?"

Harry's gentle humming is interrupted by a loud hiss, probably the _hot wax_ hitting him, and fuck it, Zayn's already _here_. He looks down.

They're lying across from the door so their profiles are in view, and it's rather awful because it means he can see things Louis can't. He sees how Harry's hands are bound and tucked under his chin, how his legs are spread wide and Louis' sitting between them, how there's already wax hardening on his back. More importantly, when Louis drips more wax down his pale thighs he can see Harry squeeze his eyes shut and bite down on his hand.

This is – he's obviously in pain, and Zayn kind of wants it to stop. Like, yeah, on some level he gets that that's the _point_ , but actually seeing kind, cheerful Harry get hurt makes Zayn squeamish.

That train of thought is quickly derailed by Louis moving the candle a little closer to Harry's leg, so the wax is bound to be hotter, and instead of flinching, Harry throws his head back and moans loudly. It's so unexpected that Zayn has to cover his own mouth not to make a sound. It's like his brain can't match up Harry's blissful reaction with the pain he feels in sympathy every time wax hits Harry's skin. He can't stop watching.

Harry drops his head to his hands so Zayn can't see his face, only his pretty, sweaty curls everywhere. Zayn turns to watch the real action. Louis' being very precise, careful to hurt Harry just the way he must like, or has practiced. He's dripping straight, short lines on Harry's thigh. Zayn also notices that he keeps touching him with his free hand, petting him sort of gently or cupping his arse. Giving him something in return for the pain.

Zayn folds his arms across his chest, and then quickly brings them down to his sides again. He's fidgety, doesn't know what to do. The plan to tell them to quiet down has clearly gone out the window. He's got earplugs from his sculpting days somewhere. If only he could actually move.

At some point Louis decides he's had enough of the candle. He blows on it, and after a second, blows on the wax on Harry's thighs. It must feel good for Harry, given how his legs kick out a little and he rubs his face into his hands. So Louis starts peeling off the wax. Zayn cringes just watching, but Harry's completely giving into it, whimpering when Louis scrapes off the stripes with his fingernails and then traces his mouth over the red lines.

For the first time, Zayn consciously thinks, _this is really weird for me to watch_. Because the candle stuff was so unreal that he could kind of distance himself from it, like he really was watching kinky porn, but Louis kissing Harry is so intimate, so familiar to him. Not like this, though. Not when he's nipping up his thigh, purposefully avoiding his arse even though Harry's making jerky motions like he _wants_ him there. Louis presses his pink lips to the knobs of Harry's spine and moves up and up, until he's grabbing Harry's soft-looking curls and twisting his head around to whisper in his ear, something Zayn can only imagine being filthy enough to make Harry claw at the sheet with his bound hands and squirm all over.

He has to face two things: 1) he's watching Harry and Louis have sex, and 2) he doesn't think he could stop. Not when it seems like that was just the first step. Zayn's invested now.

Louis moves in on the wax warmer next. He dips his fingers right in the melted wax and then flinches. Zayn instantly wants to yell at him. _What an idiot, of course it's hot, you shouldn't go around putting your fingers in melted things_. He stays silent. Louis looks hesitant for a moment, like he wants to ask Harry something, but Harry spreads his legs a little and whispers _Daddy_ and Zayn finds himself thinking, instead of anything reasonable, _do it_.

Louis does. He gets two fingers of each hand in the wax and starts smearing lines over Harry's back. Harry's quiet now, but his breathing picks up immensely, the way Perrie sounds when he teases her for a while and then fucks her hard. Which means Zayn's put them on the same level of sexy, but in this instance, he thinks it's warranted.

Harry's always been a pretty sort of lad, and right now he's prettier than ever, sprawled, flushed and whimpering. And Louis... well, he always had that one thing, this magnetism about him. The first one to lose his virginity, the first one to jump in with a sex joke. He gave Zayn his first blowjob. Sure, they were high and agreed never to bring it up again, but he does _get it_. The appeal. He's watching him fuck his boyfriend, for Christ's sake.

Put them together, and Zayn can appreciate the aesthetics, the way Louis' tan hands look on Harry's milky skin, the way their matching tattoos line up, the way Harry's boyish face seems to seek out Louis' defined one without actually looking at him. Harry lanky and spread out and Louis smaller but appearing giant, like he can command an army, but settles for Harry's body.

Louis does a few runs with the warmer, but when he's done, he straightens up and – Jesus, he drew a heart on him. A wax _heart_. They've always been a cute couple, with Harry charmingly excited about making Louis eggs on toast every morning and Louis forcing Zayn to check out his first day of school outfit because he wanted Harry to "bend over at the sight of me". This, though. Making a wax heart over Harry's shoulder blades and leaning down to kiss along his spine. This is adorable.

"How is it?" Louis asks, lips still attached to Harry's nape. "Is it as hot as when we tried?"

It takes Harry a moment to answer. "Less," he says slowly. "But with the... more intense than the candle." Zayn suspects that it's more than his lazy way of speaking, that he's tangled in his own little world right now. He doesn't know if it's weirder than it is fascinating.

Louis hums and presses his nose to Harry's nape. "Figured. Always want my fingers, don't you? Do you want it hotter?"

Again, Harry reacts after a little while, and when he does, it's quiet and spacey. "No. S'good."

Louis presses his hot fingers into the dips of Harry's lower back, and Harry arches like Louis' giving him a friendly rubdown rather than dragging hot wax over him. "You're already under, aren't you? My good boy. Only needed a massage and a little pain."

" _Daddy_." And there it is. The original clue that Louis and Harry got up to… adventurous things. It's not _Daddy please_ or _Daddy more_ , it's just daddy, like he needed to say it for its own sake. Zayn does not get how it works at all, but he's watched enough porn not to be grossed out by it, and heard enough of them not to be weirded out by it. It's just a part of this.

Christ, Zayn's sweating. He feels like a complete twat and he still doesn't know what to do with his hands and he just leans heavily on the doorframe and sweats.

"Looks so good on you, my heart," Louis tells Harry, kissing around the wax again. "Would look even better with colour. What do you think, Zayn?"

Zayn doesn't shit himself, but it's somewhere between paralysis and a minor heart attack.

He's been standing here for so long he thought for sure he'd turned invisible, or melted into the wall. Louis isn't even looking at him, just addressed him casual as anything. _Shit._

Secretly watching is one thing, could be considered a coincidence even after ten minutes of gaping, but knowingly watching is quite another. How long did Louis know he was there for? Is he angry? He doesn't look it. Jesus, why is Zayn still watching, why isn't the fight or flight kicking in? This is clearly a dangerous situation.

Out of shock and stupidity, he doesn't move an inch from the doorway. And speaks for the first time, a very intelligent, "What?"

Louis turns to him then with dark eyes, and Zayn never thought he'd see that directed at him. It's very clearly not… for him, though. He's not the one Louis' hot for. Harry got him this far, Zayn just has to deal with the consequences. Louis doesn't even look at him the way he does at Harry – like he wants to wreck him – his face is softer and amused for Zayn. "Well, you're the artist here. Think you could give us a hand?"

Zayn still hasn't dealt with the fact he's getting involved in this, he can't comprehend Louis _asking_ to reel him in. He's probably joking, just drawing out telling Zayn to fuck off. "Are you serious?"

He has good reason to hesitate. This must be crossing a line, he knows it is, but Louis rolls his eyes like Zayn's being thick. Usually he'd hate Louis being short with him, but right now he _feels_ thick. Completely out of bounds.

"We were wondering if you could give us a hand. Or a brush." He gestures to the wax warmer, but there's no way Zayn's taking his eyes off him right now. It... doesn't look like he's joking.

"We."

Louis smirks at him, and starts scraping the wax off Harry's back with a blunt fingernail. Harry makes this high noise, and Zayn wonders if he's been holding his breath during Louis' exchange with Zayn, but now that he's got his attention back he can't help himself. _Zayn_ can't help but watch how red his skin's become, how Louis can play him so well while still looking at Zayn and chatting calmly. "Of course. He's the one that got you standing here, isn't he? Wanted to be extra loud and pretty so you'll see what a good boy he is for his daddy."

_Fuck_ , it was all ploy to get him here. They're always pushing, aren't they? It seems like a lifetime ago since Louis rang him to gush about how he "made him come _four times_! He just did whatever I said! He wanted to take it!"

Zayn now lives in a world where Louis has a boyfriend who likes to wear people-collars. And they're asking him to, what, join? It's not that Zayn's a blushing virgin, he's been in threesomes before. But only with Perrie, and only because they accidentally had sex with Jade one or six times. He should probably consult with her. He should.

Then again, she'll probably be cool with it. Just a few weeks ago they had a movie night and got buzzed on wine, so obviously Harry and Louis ended up snogging on the good sofa and possibly-definitely groping each other under the blanket. Zayn noticed Perrie was watching them more closely than the film, and when they finally made it home, she was so wet he could barely get his pants off before she was on him.

Also, it's not really a threesome. Knowing Louis, Zayn would probably get stabbed if he actually laid a finger on Harry. They're just asking him for help. Do what he does best. It's a casual thing. Perrie would definitely do it if they asked her, she has a good heart. He loves her more than anything. He just wants to be a good mate for Louis and Harry.

He's already _here_. Even though Zayn would be content to spend the rest of his life holed up in his studio with just Perrie and Hatchi for company, he didn't get this far without taking chances. He moves for the first time in what feels like hours, just to push his own hair back and subtly pinch himself. "H, are you okay with this?"

Harry can't nod fast enough. "Yes, please, I asked for this. M'birthday."

Oh god, he sounds out of his mind, but Zayn thinks he gets the sentiment. Harry has his exhibitionism thing, and Louis' always been a show-off. It's not an attraction thing. It's not a weird thing. They didn't even ask for Zayn to touch. They just want him to make art with the coloured wax melts. On Harry's back. While they're naked. Together. It's cool, it's a bro thing.

"Um. Alright then." He takes a deep breath and steps into the room.

The window is cracked open so the scent of the melts isn't too intense, but it's still present, pleasantly heady. Zayn's first instinct is to keep a clear berth of them, like he usually does when he catches them grinding on the living room carpet or making out in the kitchen. He's already said yes to this, though, so he might as well do it right.

He walks right up to the sheet and Louis stands up slowly, giving him an approving little smile. He might smile at him some more, Zayn wouldn't know, his eyes are instantly drawn to Louis' hard dick. He's seen it countless times, but not many this up close. It's only natural to give it a good look and compare. They're about the same size, but Louis' thicker than him. It's hard to tell by eye because Louis' less hairy and Zayn's got skinnier hips, but if he got a ruler – _thank god_ , Louis moves away.

He rounds Harry's stretched-out form and sits down in front of his face, touching his hair gently. Since Zayn moves in behind Harry, he can't see his face, but from the way Louis' looking back at the boy, he can imagine he's shooting him the dimply beam. "Zayn, are you listening?" Louis asks suddenly.

Zayn clears his throat. He's really not. It's really hard to. He's really hard, has been for a while. There's definitely something he should be doing other than staring at Harry. "Um."

"Zayn, mate, I know. It's been a year and I still..." Harry makes a little sound, and Louis pulls on his hair hard and snaps, "Stop whining, we're talking."

Harry immediately shuts up and goes even more pliant in Louis' hold. Zayn's eyes widen. That looked almost instinctual for him, and Zayn has so many questions about it, but Harry's so... _Harry_ , nice and lovely, Zayn can't talk about him like he's not here. Even if he seems to be getting off on it.

Luckily, he doesn't have to say anything, because Louis starts to. "Babes, you're here to watch, it's okay. We want you to. I just need you to listen to me for two minutes so you don't hurt him."

That gets his attention. Okay, so there are guidelines. Of course there are. Harry's been Louis' whole world for so long that Zayn is well aware of how much he loves him, but seeing him be this mean to him sort of made him forget. He remembers now. Harry's important to both of them, so safety first.

Zayn nods and focuses entirely on Louis. That raises a whole other set of problems, because Louis looks fucking good like this. They've never... _really_ gotten together, but Zayn's always seen the appeal. Like, he's marrying the most beautiful person in the universe, but he can still appreciate the cut of Louis' scruffy jaw or high cheekbones. He can appreciate the curve of Harry's back under him, enough to paint on it with hot wax.

He kneels behind Harry and nods for Louis to start. "We've been playing for a few hours now so he's used to the pain, but either way, it's my job to worry about that, so you can relax," he rattles off. "Your job is to stay clear of his bits, don't change the temperature of the warmer because we set it up specifically for him, don't worry about making him come, and no matter what, if either of us say the word red you back _the fuck_ off."

It's very uncharacteristic of him not to tack on a joke or at least a cheeky smile, but it just makes it more _real_. Zayn's doing it, he's joining a BDSM scene where things can go wrong, and these are the most important things Louis needs to tell him right off the bat. "Red. Got it."

"Good boy," Louis says instantly, and it takes both him and Harry a moment to realise he was addressing _Zayn_. Before he can even laugh it off, he notices Harry stretching out to bite Louis' thigh, and Louis lets out a mean laugh and yanks Harry's hair particularly hard. "Relax, you. I want him to be good for _my_ boy."

That seems to appease Harry. He settles back down and lets Louis play with his hair. Zayn lets out a long breath. Tommo just called him a good boy, and it wasn't even the weirdest thing that happened tonight.

He look at his materials then, tries to focus. There are multicoloured wax chips strewn on the floor around the warmer, and it's the same stuff Perrie uses to make the flat smell nice, so he kind of knows his way around it. Despite the obvious repurposing. He knows that combining the chips will change the colours just like paint, and that it won't take them too long to melt since it's already been plugged in for a while. He's surprised to find a brush next to it, one of his own. So he's actually meant to paint on Harry. Alright, he can work with that.

He looks at Harry, his canvas, to assess the situation. He wants to take notes on his back and think it over but his eyes land on his arse and _Jesus_ , how did he not notice _that_? "Is that…"

"A plug?" Louis answers, like it doesn't mean anything, Zayn finding _something_ up Harry's suspiciously pink bum. "I told you we've been playing for a while. Couldn't keep him empty."

It's still weird when he talks about Harry like he's not there, since when they're not having sex, Zayn's lucky to have Louis' attention for two minutes before he'll instinctively seek Harry out. Harry must like it though, given the way he wiggles his hips a little. Alright. Sex toys. He assumed they used them, but, okay, that's how it looks in action. Ace. Harry's had a plug in him for hours. Lovely.

Zayn has to use every ounce of self-control in him not to poke it with his finger just to see what happens.

"Got inspired yet?" Louis asks, a smirk in his voice. Zayn nods thoughtlessly and already envisions it, Harry's back slathered in greens and blues like stained glass, as open and beautiful as a vintage window. He grabs the chips he needs and drops them in the warmer, using his brush to make sure they mix. He hears Louis whisper something to Harry and then Harry moves, tucking his knees under his belly so all Zayn has to work with is his back.

He hesitates before the first brushstroke. Louis' watching him like a hawk to make sure he doesn't fuck up, but he's still playing with Harry's hair and making him squirm, making his back arch and heave and remind Zayn that this is not a canvas and his brush is not tinged with paint. He's going to burn someone.

But that's rather exciting, doing something brand new after so long. Harry's skin is still red where Louis' fingerpainted his heart, so Zayn is aware of what Harry can take. And Louis watching is comforting, in a way. He can tell when Harry tenses up, so he leans toward him and says, "Baby, relax, he's gonna do just what I said. He wants to take care of you too. Never made prettier art."

It's like Louis' casting some spell on him; Harry just sinks down and broadens his shoulders for Zayn. It suddenly hits him, how much Harry trusts Louis. He also thinks that, to do this, he needs to really trust Louis himself. And he does. This Louis, he really does. He looks up and sees Louis sat cross-legged in front of them both and staring so intently and carefully, in control of himself and Harry and the situation.

Zayn's never seen him this focused or… domineering. It's like when Hatchi got a bit older and Jesy started groaning exaggeratedly whenever she picked him up because, "You're such a big boy now, aren't you?" but Zayn wasn't even able to tell the difference, since he's been with him every day. It's the same with Louis. Along the years, his perception of Louis got stuck on "manic, spastic, tiny, twinky", only now Harry is acting as the glaring contrast. Seeing him so helpless and pliant and submissive makes it so fucking obvious to Zayn that _Louis_ ' changed so much. He's not the sweet, soft boy he was in his late teens and not even the scruffy punk he was in his early twenties. He's serious and completely in control and gives this vibe that makes Zayn understand why Harry likes to call him Daddy.

Zayn runs a hand over his face to calm down a little and grabs the brush. He wants to give Harry some sort of warning, but there's this mental block keeping him from touching, and his throat doesn't seem intent on letting him speak right now. So he just touches the brush to Harry's lower back. And Harry _keens_ and flattens himself down, shoving his face into Louis' lap and sobbing a little. Zayn's eyes immediately snap to Louis for further instructions, and Louis gives him an excited nod and then turns his full attention to Harry. He strokes his face and soothes him, whispers, "It's good, isn't it? Do you like Zayn giving it to you? Do you like getting to watch me while you're getting your back done?"

Zayn can only see Harry nod, and then they hear Harry murmur, "Kiss," and Louis' face softens slightly.

"Sure, darling." Louis can't move Harry because of Zayn, so he ends up sprawled in front of him ridiculously just to give him a kiss. Zayn's seen them kiss more times than he can count, but it's heated now, he sees their tongues meeting between them and Louis biting Harry's full lips red, and he's still petting and whispering wetly, and it's _hot_ , fuck. Zayn has to pull himself together and focus on what he's doing, remember Louis' safety instructions.

The strokes come naturally to him. After a while, he gives himself over completely to making art and can almost ignore Harry's reactions, the way he's practically vibrating under him and whimpering uncontrollably. He can even ignore Louis bringing him down, sometimes cruelly and sometimes gently.

It's surprisingly easy to detach himself from the fact this is a sex thing, because it's so obvious that he's just a guest. Like always, Louis and Harry are so completely involved in each other that Zayn's acting as an extra, a tool. He's just as dispensable as his brush. It should be offensive, maybe, but it just makes things easier. Makes it simpler to paint on Harry with hot wax while Louis' fucking Harry's mouth with two fingers and making him moan and slurp on it.

Harry just takes it and asks for more, because he loves Louis like the earth loves the sun, and at some point they're just as painful to watch. When Zayn's done his whole back, he can only stare at the wax and marvel. It's fucking beautiful, if he says so himself. Harry's constant motion made the wax crack while it dried, so it really does look like stained glass. He's so zoned out, he finds himself just wishing Louis would see, hopes with all his heart that he'll like it. It's his boy Zayn painted on. He wants him to be proud.

"Tommo," he says, clearing his throat to maybe shake off this weird trance. Harry makes a displeased sound he hasn't made when Zayn _dripped hot wax on him_ , and Zayn widens his eyes, wondering what he did wrong. Louis just shakes his head and mouths something to him.

_Oh_.

When Louis stole the Mystery Machine and dented it right before Zayn was going to propose, Zayn called him _douche nozzle_ for two whole weeks. He thinks he can call him Daddy now.

His face is as hot as the wax when he clears his throat again and corrects, "Daddy."

He fully expects Louis to burst out laughing, but he just blinks at him like it's the most natural thing in the world. It's really not, it's – it's weird and it makes Zayn's gut tighten up in knots and it's really fucking hot in here. He might be rock-hard in his pants. There's just. All these fit naked people around him and no one could blame him, especially not Perrie. "I'm done."

Louis gets on his knees again, first taking care to put Harry's head on his thigh and then he actually looks at his back and gasps. "Holy shit, it's _gorgeous_."

Zayn beams and shrugs at the same time, but Louis' more interested in Harry humming happily. He pulls him up and whispers in his ear frantically, something that makes him grunt, something that Zayn definitely doesn't listen in on. This would be a good time to leave the room. He did what they asked (expertly, he might add), he should leave them to it then. What more could happen, anyway? He already has candle wax all over his back. Zayn doesn't even _want_ to know what they're whispering about.

"Yeah?" Louis asks louder, for Zayn to hear. "You want him to? Of course you do. You're a good boy, aren't you? Take what you're given?"

"Yes," Harry says, a desperate edge to his voice. He's trying to keep himself still but ends up shuddering because of it, muscles tense even though he's just lying there.

"Why don't you ask him to take a picture of it first? For Daddy to keep. I'll show everyone how lovely my boy is. The best boy."

Zayn gropes for his phone before Harry even lets out a "please". He's basically fucked. He was ready to leave, he really was, but now he's absolutely antsy, eager to hear what they'll ask of him next. He's already here. Zayn doesn't do things half-arsed. Especially sex things. Especially when he's this turned on.

He takes pictures of Harry's back, making sure they can hear the shutter sound effect. He sends the pictures to Louis and then deletes all but one. Perrie will probably want to see when he tells her about this. That's probably the next step. Ducking outside and making the call. Begging her to come on Skype. Getting off. Getting off a lot.

Like he's sensing where Zayn's thoughts are heading, Louis stops kissing Harry for long enough to say, "Zayn, you're not done."

It's more commanding than he's spoken to Zayn so far, and it rattles him a little. He drops his phone on the floor accidentally, and then rushes to unplug the warmer so they don't burn anything down. He's fairly certain this part of the show is over.

"Come on his back."

_Well_. That sounds. Sexual. Zayn's brain sort of stutters. "What? Why?"

Louis looks thrown off, probably not used to someone saying no to him when he's like this. It strikes Zayn that not just Harry is... different right now. Louis' this whole other persona. A _dom_. It's horribly attractive and attractively horrible, but Zayn doesn't think it's his place to be lured in by it. He can see the moment Louis realises the exact same thing, that Zayn isn't Harry and isn't what Harry is right now, that he can't just do whatever Louis tells him whenever Louis tells him to do it.

Instead of trying to sweet-talk Zayn, Louis pouts down at Harry and tugs on his curls. "He doesn't wanna give you your birthday present. Bit rude, don't you think? Maybe we should stop cleaning up after ourselves when we go in the living room. Or the bathroom. Or the kitchen."

Harry actually giggles freely, and Louis winks at Zayn. The tension is completely broken, and Zayn finds himself infinitely calmer. It's an act, isn't it? That's why they call it playing. The only question is whether or not Zayn is willing to play along. Well, the only question is whether Zayn wanks off here or in the two seconds it'll take him to rush to his own room.

There's still no touching involved, he reasons, even while unzipping his jeans. He's just adding to what he's already put on Harry's back, he figures, tugging his pants down to his thighs. They're letting him do this, he reckons, and then stop thinking altogether because he's wrapping his hand around his hard cock. _Fuck_ , he hasn't had a proper wank since Perrie's gone on tour. Getting involved in Louis and Harry's scene makes him feel like he's been having sex for half an hour, he's sweating and breathing hard. Who was he kidding, this has been sexual from the moment he peered into the room and saw them both naked and hard.

His eyes had drifted shut on their own at the initial contact, but they snap back open when he hears Louis talk again. "Won't be long now," he says to Harry, like Zayn's not right there and listening. "He's been so hard all along. Never seen anything like you. He wanted to mess you up every time he touched you with the brush."

It's not true, but it gets Harry panting and arching his back so prettily, and even Zayn is starting to fall for it. Tightens his fist and thinks, _yes_. Pumps himself punishingly fast and thinks, _gonna get you all dirty and take another picture just for me._ Fuck, he really won't last long. Louis smirks directly at him, and Zayn can practically hear him say _let's give him a show_.

He pulls Harry up again and shoves two fingers in his mouth unceremoniously. Harry isn't even fazed, just starts bobbing his head and making muffled groans. Zayn can't see, but he imagines his cheeks hollowing out, his pretty lips getting swollen. Imagines a thick cock between them – not his own, but Louis' – fucking into him as rough as Zayn know he likes it.

It's not even that visual that pushes Zayn over the edge, it's Harry subtly rising up on his haunches, just enough to push his arse out and draw Zayn's attention to it. He curses when he remembers there's a plug splitting him open _right now_ , has been there during the whole time Zayn painted on him, filling him up like a –

_Christ_ , when Zayn comes he aims for his lower back and it drips a little on his pale arse and that's an image he'll have seared in his brain forever. He just came on his best friend's boyfriend. And he came so fast he should probably be asking himself questions. Should apologise or take it back or _leave the room_ , but no one makes it weird because no one's actually paying attention to him. Louis is _beside_ himself, staring at Harry's back and slipping another finger into his mouth. " _So gorgeous_ , fucking hell. You're absolutely filthy. Can you even feel it over the wax?"

" _No_ ," Harry whines, muffled over Louis' fingers. He's pressing his face to Louis' inner thigh like he's distraught by not being able to feel Zayn's come drying on him. Zayn's completely blown away – in _his_ bedroom his jizz is an evil baby-when-you're-not-even-sure-when-your-wedding-is-maker, but in this universe it apparently makes Louis praise Harry, it gets Harry off. Zayn's only just come, but he wonders if he'll be in a permanent state of horniness for the rest of this… whatever.

"Poor baby, can't tell how much he pleased everyone, how lovely Zayn thought he was," Louis coos, making Harry whine again. He then leans toward Zayn, smiling at him brightly as he reaches out and – scoops up some of his come with his fingers. Zayn's stunned, for one. His first reaction is to wince, because that's _jizz_ , but he is the one kneeling here with his pants undone and his knob out. He has no idea what Louis' going to do. He doesn't even pretend to ponder leaving anymore.

"Here baby, see what I mean." He. Zayn has to blink twelve times to make sure he's really seeing this. Louis brings his fingers back to Harry's mouth and feeds him his come. Worse still, Harry moans like it's fucking melted chocolate. Zayn actually considers moving to see his face, even opens his mouth to ask _why_ , but Louis makes a sign for him to stay quiet and Zayn instantly shuts up. He figures they don't really need his input. Harry doesn't need to hear from him how much he liked painting on him, because Louis said it for him.

And now Louis' crouching down to give Harry a kiss, and it's so natural that it takes Zayn a few seconds to realise he _didn't swallow_ and they're both tasting Zayn's come. If he weren't so shocked, he'd probably get hard again. Louis makes sure to lift Harry up so Zayn can see their messy kiss, and it's quite a sight, their pink lips meeting, Louis' stubble against Harry's smooth face. It's intimate even with Zayn obscenely dripping between them.

As soon as Louis pulls back, Harry surges forward to kiss him again, whispering for more against his lips.

Louis looks considering for a moment, but then decides, "Don't be greedy. It's on the canvas now."

Harry shudders and drops down to start mouthing along Louis' thigh. "Daddy, more," he mumbles.

They must share a psychic bond or something, because Louis somehow understands what Harry wants. He grabs Harry's head with both hands and leads him to his cock. Harry just opens up and hums when he's pushed down, but Zayn gasps. He doesn't get how Louis can be so rough with this sunshine boy. He'll probably never get it, but he keeps on watching because Harry takes him so deep so fast and Louis' finally, finally starting to let loose. He closes his eyes and clenches his fingers in Harry's riot of curls, breathing heavily.

He's sitting cross-legged, but he still manages to push his hips up, and he looks so casual and lazy in contrast to Harry, who's all folded up with his hands bound under him, who's straining his neck to suck Louis off. Zayn finds it captivating. It doesn't go unnoticed. "Wish you could see what you're doing to him," Louis whispers to Harry. Zayn was so absorbed in watching the action, he didn't even notice Louis watching him back. He flushes bright red, but doesn't really mind Louis using him for his dirty talk. It makes him feel included.

"Looks like he'd love to fuck your pretty arse, but that's all for Daddy, isn't it?" He must not expect an answer, since he pushes Harry down and holds him there, _must_ be choking him. Zayn himself can't breathe. He's startled when Louis addresses him directly. "Go on Zayn, tell Harry how – _yeah_ , good boy – how hard he made you, how good he made you feel."

By the time Zayn gets his mouth open, all that comes out is this strangled little noise, because Louis is actually letting him talk but he doesn't know what to _say_. He's really out of his depth here. Perrie's going to be so disappointed, she'd know what to to say right now. Always had a mouth on her. At least they don't seem to be waiting for him to communicate. Harry's bobbing his head faster and Louis' getting more and more breathless. He sounds uneven when he talks, must be close. "He's getting hard again just from watching you. Why don't we show him something special?"

After everything he's seen in this room, he has no scale as to what "something special" might mean. He half-expects Harry to deep-throat him again, but instead Louis pulls out completely. Harry's panting for it, craning his neck so his dirty back is arched again. "Open up," Louis says.

And then he comes on Harry's face.

They don't keep Zayn wondering for long. Louis pulls Harry up to his knees for the first time since Zayn's gone into the room and turns him around. Zayn's left gaping at him. His mouth, cheeks and chin are covered in come, and the rest of his face isn't any less fascinating. He's flushed and his wide eyes are glassy and dark and look like he's been _crying_. His fringe is matted to his forehead with how sweaty he is, and he just looks overwhelmed and blissed out, letting Louis completely support his weight.

Zayn's so hard so abruptly it's like he hasn't come at all. He's seen Harry walk around naked, hard and bruised with a fucking collar on, but he's never seen him like this. His whole body is loose for Louis but still drawn tight, his muscles jumping at every touch. It's no surprise considering how hard he is. And seeing his dick is kind of alarming. While Harry was hunched over, Zayn knew he was getting off and knew there was a plug in him and knew he must be hard, but he didn't think he was _this_ hard. It looks painful to Zayn. That's kind of funny, considering Harry turned out to be a masochist.

He has no clue how Harry's even holding it together, how he reached the point of _crying_ before he let himself come everywhere. And Louis just keeps egging him on. He yanks his hair back and says in his ear, "You wanna come, baby? You wanna get yours after you got both of us off just by being so beautiful?"

Even Zayn's getting tingly, he has no idea how Harry's coping. Louis' hand moves back and Zayn guesses he starts playing with the plug, given the way Harry shakes and moans and begs, " _Please_."

If Zayn's been impressed by Harry's stamina, he's even more impressed by Louis' ability to deny him anything. Zayn's two seconds away from sucking Harry's cock himself just to stop him from looking so beautifully miserable. "Bet you want me to fuck you. Eat you out a little? But that'll be too easy, won't it? You'll come in two seconds if I get my tongue in you."

Jesus. Zayn goes down on Perrie all the time, but bringing arseholes into it sounds vaguely upsetting. It's particularly vague now, when he watches Harry melt into Louis just at the thought. (Zayn still remembers Harry stumbling out of Louis' room with a wet and flaming face, more smug than he's even seen him, and Louis, dazed and dick-drunk for a whole day after, cheerfully telling Zayn all about his perfect boyfriend rimming him for the first time.)

He doesn't give it to him right now. He wraps a loose fist around Harry's cock and starts jerking him slowly. "You wanted to show Zayn how good you are for me, yeah? How far I can push you? Can you show him what we practiced?"

Harry can't even talk anymore, he's just nodding and biting his lip raw. He hasn't looked at Zayn this whole time. His eyes are squeezed shut. He's completely given himself over to Louis.

Then comes the punchline. Louis lets go of Harry suddenly and looks straight at Zayn with a smirk. "Now, baby, come now, _come for Daddy_."

And fucking hell, he does. Just from Louis' voice, Harry comes so hard he goes limp and practically collapses into Louis, making noises Zayn doesn't even recognise. He keeps moaning weakly even after he stops shooting his load, and Zayn is equally jealous of him for that orgasm as he is impressed. He kind of wants to give him a round of applause. He just came on command, how does a person even do that?

Louis doesn't clap, but he does hug him tightly, pressing his messy back to his own sweaty front. He keeps whispering sweet things about how proud he is of him, and even _Zayn_ is proud of him, but something tells him if he so much as pets Harry when he's this vulnerable, Louis might wring his neck.

When Louis goes to uncuff him, it hits Zayn that the show is over. Like, Harry's still got come on his face and a plug up his bum, but Louis kissing his wrists gently is what really gets to Zayn. This is the part he'll never be invited to, not really. Shouldn't be privy to.

He thinks he did well. He helped Louis with the wax. There were three out of three orgasms. This is the best point for him to slink off. It's also finally the point he feels like he _can_ move. He doesn't think Harry or Louis even notice when he gets on his wobbly legs to shuffle out of the room and straight to the shower for another furious wank.

He feels sort of lost when he steps out. The stifling scent of the candles and sex dissipates at the threshold, and it's like Zayn is taking his first breath in hours. He's in a daze when he goes to shower, and then makes tea, and then steps outside to chain-smoke four cigs. It's surprisingly hard to untangle himself from what just happened. Maybe it's because he didn't get closure. Like, he came, but. He feels really used and it rankles, after everything.

When he comes back inside and slides the balcony door closed behind him, he notices that the bathroom door is open as he'd left it, which means Harry and Louis must not have come out to shower. He frowns in the direction of the room, where, naturally, the door is still open as well. He knows it's not his place, but he doesn't really like the thought of them continuing to play. Harry looked so wrung out and – what if Louis takes it too far? Keeps him there for who knows how long? How would Louis even _know_ , he was so far-gone himself.

With a mixture of worry and plain curiosity, Zayn decides he should probably check in on them. Just to make sure they're okay. He braces himself and then trudges across the hall and back to the room he fled from.

He was ready for anything, really. Harry chained up to the ceiling, Louis wearing leather gloves, more candles, a paddle. He was ready for anything but Harry splayed on the bed like a beautiful ragdoll and Louis painstakingly peeling off all the wax and replacing it with kisses. He's running a wet flannel all over Harry's body and whispering to him tenderly, things Zayn feels it's not his place to hear, like, "I love you more than anything" and "I think I need you more than air sometimes" and "I couldn't find anyone like you in a thousand lifetimes".

Harry doesn't say anything, but he's practically purring with Louis' attention on him. He looks like he popped a Molly, really. Zayn's never seen anyone this pleased and settled, not even in that fancy spa the girls took him to for his birthday last month. Louis' still pressing sweet words into his skin and asking him questions about colours, maybe regarding Zayn's art. He kisses his neck, and Zayn suddenly notices that he's wearing his collar now.

He feels like a proper idiot for having doubted Louis. If he's good at the dom stuff, he must be an expert in taking care of Harry after. He makes it look natural, but it's still a bit of a shocker to see how much he changes according to Harry's needs. Like all the rough layers have been smoothed over, Louis' nothing but kind now, cleaning Harry up and praising him.

Zayn realises that Louis loves Harry like the sun loves the earth, gives him light and substance. They play rough _because_ they trust each other more than anything. And that's a bit lovely.

He's ready to leave again, really, doesn't even understand why he was so drawn to this room in the first place, but then they look right at him. He's rooted to the spot while they whisper amongst themselves, pinned there by Louis' sharp gaze. And then Louis says in his normal voice, "Bro, why don't you come sleep with us? Promise the sheets are clean. He's pretty clean, too."

He gestures to three other soggy towels thrown on the floor. Zayn hesitates, doesn't want to intrude on this obviously special moment, but Louis' asking him to and Harry looks too fucked-out to care. Zayn loves a good cuddle. He'd like some attention right about now.

Harry's curled up so close to Louis there's only room on his side of the bed, so Zayn climbs in next to him. He's happy he decided to put on some clothes, since Harry and Louis didn't bother and if all three of them were naked it would've been really weird and not bro-like. It still feels like he needs permission to even breathe next to Harry, but Louis gives him a reassuring nod and starts stroking Harry's side, over the birdcage tattoo he's gotten recently. Louis inked birds at the same spot. They're disgusting.

So he runs his own hand over Harry's skin, and he's so sweaty and soft, and he rolls into it while still clinging to Louis. He beams up at Zayn, mumbling a tiny _thanks_ even while his eyes drift shut in bliss. Louis smiles at him fondly and kisses his cheek. Now that they're… not playing, Zayn feels safe enough to feed his own curiosity. "What's up with him?"

Louis' still watching Harry, but he doesn't hesitate before answering Zayn. "This, mate, is subspace. He's gonna be like this for a while. Maybe even tomorrow morning. We gave him a proper sorting out."

_We_. Zayn thinks he likes being included in this, even if during the scene he was a less-than-innocent bystander. He's in bed with them now. As included as he can or should be. "Should you… do something?"

"No, I got it covered," Louis says, kissing Harry's shoulder and making him giggle sleepily. "Fucked him, collared him, cleaned him up with cold water, gave him something to eat. The cuddling is the most important part of aftercare, I think."

He smiles at Zayn warmly, and Zayn ducks his head but doesn't stop petting Harry. "D'you do this all the time?"

"Pretty much. He doesn't always go this deep, though. And it was the first time we tried wax play. He loved it, really." He's playing with Harry's hair now, pushing it back and tangling his fingers in his springy curls. It's so weird seeing Louis this peaceful. Especially given their conversation topic – usually when they talk about sex, Louis is all bluster, can't shut up about how he's a sex god and Harry worships him. Watching him be so gentle with Harry, Zayn thinks he sees some of that worship reflected. Love, adoration, admiration. He's open and calm, and Zayn's own heart clenches at the sight of him. He's been best mates with Louis for ten years and couldn't wish him anything better.

"How do you even come up with this shit?" Zayn asks bluntly.

"He asks for most of it, actually. I just try to think one step ahead and keep him on his toes. Plus, like. I know him." He whispers the last part: "I also check what kind of porn he watches."

Zayn laughs unexpectedly, and for a moment he thinks he's killed the mood, but Harry seems pleased enough to have happy people surrounding him. They keep petting him until he falls asleep, warm and happy between them. Only then does Louis let himself finally focus on Zayn. "Mate, I meant it, you were really brilliant with him. Thanks, yeah? We love you loads."

"Sure, me too," Zayn says automatically. There's something bothering him, though. "Is it gonna be like, super awkward now?"

Louis bites his lip in thought. "It doesn't have to be, I don't think. It's not like we want to steal you away from Perrie and have you join us in a polygamous relationship. Not that you're _not_ crazy fit, but like. For a long time he really wanted someone to watch, and I don't trust anyone but you."

"Aw," Zayn coos immediately, reaching over Harry to ruffle Louis' hair. They're sort of cuddling sort of naked after sort of having sex with each other and Louis still manages to accidentally be cute. "So you're not hot for me?"

"I think anyone who's seen you is, on some level? I hope he doesn't get too ahead of himself, though. I _saw_ you two with the candy thong Niall got for him."

He sounds so bitter Zayn has to chuckle. It's been months and Louis' still not over the thong incident. "It was good candy."

"It was also a good spanking he got afterwards."

Jesus. " _Jesus._ "

"Oh relax, it's why he wore it for you twat in the first place. He likes to be punished sometimes."

It's just kind of mental, being this straight-forward about this. Zayn having this knowledge about Louis' eighteen-year-old boyfriend. Before he can get too uncomfortable, he just blurts out, "Pezza likes it up the arse sometimes."

Louis lets out a startled laugh. "Okay, got it. Boundaries."

He's not really sure how many boundaries they could keep after tonight, but right now he doesn't want to worry about it. Right now, Louis starts petting _Zayn's_ hair, and Zayn laughs again, but it's more subdued. He wasn't even tired, but now he feels like he's going to pass out any second. He curls up around Harry so that it's easier for Louis to reach him. He really does love cuddles.

Louis tugs on his hair a little to keep him up, and Zayn frowns. Louis just smiles wider. "Listen. I know I already gave you your birthday present two weeks ago, but. Let me know if you want anything... else. Special."

Oh, that's. Um. That's something to think about. "Maybe I will," he says through a yawn.

"By the way, I'm _so_ telling Pezza you called me Daddy."

The last thing he remembers before falling asleep is Louis kissing his forehead, Harry snoring, and himself mumbling, "G'night, douche nozzle."

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> PHEW. THANK YOU LEAH FOR BETAING AND HELPING SO MUCH WITH THE WAX!!! thank you lila and karen for basically writing the whole plotline. i'm merely a vessal for your horniness. it's so weird not thanking ros or dina quick make me something
> 
> thanks for reading! [come say hi!](http://loaded-gunn.tumblr.com/)


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